Islamabad: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet met today at the Finance Division under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb to approve important economic, fiscal, and sectoral measures aimed at ensuring macroeconomic stability, protecting consumers, strengthening social services, and addressing operational needs of key public sector entities.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Investment Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, along with federal secretaries and senior officials from relevant ministries, divisions, and regulatory bodies.
During the session, the ECC approved the disposal of 500,000 metric tons of PASSCO wheat stock through competitive bidding to manage surplus stocks, reduce carrying and storage costs, and ensure price stability in the domestic wheat market while safeguarding food security.
The Committee also approved the provision of 300,000 metric tons of PASSCO wheat to the Food and Consumer Protection Department of Punjab to maintain adequate wheat supplies for flour mills, stabilize prices, and ensure uninterrupted availability of wheat flour for consumers.
In the energy and public sector domain, the ECC approved Rs. 10.98 billion as a Technical Supplementary Grant to clear outstanding liabilities of utility companies against the Pakistan Post Office Department (PPOD), addressing long-pending payables accumulated over several years.
In the health sector, a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs. 29.663 billion was approved for the Federal Directorate of Immunization under the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination. The funding will support uninterrupted procurement of vaccines and syringes under the Expanded Programme on Immunization, sustain routine immunization coverage, prevent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and fulfill Pakistan's international public health commitments.
The ECC further approved sharing the subsidy on imported urea on a 50:50 basis between the federal and provincial governments through a Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs. 23.42 billion requested by the Ministry of Commerce. Of this amount, Rs. 15 billion will be released by the Finance Division, with the remaining amount arranged subject to fiscal space.
In the housing and development sector, the Committee approved Rs. 1.9 billion for the Ministry of Housing and Works under the Sustainable Development Goals Achievement Programme to execute development schemes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through Pakistan Infrastructure Development Company Limited, aimed at accelerating infrastructure development and improving service delivery.
A Technical Supplementary Grant of Rs. 150 million was also approved for Cadet College Hasan Abdal under the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training to meet operational and developmental requirements and ensure smooth functioning of the institution.
Finally, the ECC approved the distribution of confiscated solar panels by the Federal Board of Revenue to the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, along with the associated transportation and distribution plan, to address electricity shortages, promote renewable energy solutions, and support public service facilities through sustainable power generation.